Bruschetta with tomato & basil

"A bruschetta is a kind of open sandwich
and it's probably where the idea for cheese on toast originally came
from. It's normally made from a large loaf of sourdough natural yeast
bread, which is a dark grey colour and has a higher water content than
usual in the dough. It also has a thick crust and, because of this,
moisture is retained in the bread, meaning it can be used up to a week
after purchasing. Have a look round a farmers' market or in a good
supermarket and you should be able to find some. If you can't, a
good-quality round cottage-style loaf will give you good results.

Nutritional Information - Amount per
serving:

Calories189kcal

Carbs18.4g

Sugar1.9g

Fat10.8g

Saturates1.6g

Protein3.7g

Serves
6

Ingredients

2 handfuls nice mixed ripe tomatoes

1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

good-quality white wine or herb vinegar

Method

The bread is best sliced 1cm thick and
toasted on a barbecue, but it can also be done in a griddle pan for ease
at home. After that it should be lightly rubbed a couple of times with a
cut clove of garlic, then drizzled with some good extra virgin olive
oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. The toppings can be as humble or
as luxurious as you like, from chopped herbs or a squashed tomato with
basil, to marinated vegetables or beautiful cheeses, to lovely flaked
crabmeat. The only rule is that whatever goes on top of a bruschetta
should be nice and fresh and cooked with care.
Make sure your tomatoes are really ripe when making this topping. Give
them a wash, remove their cores and carefully squeeze out the seeds.
Place in a bowl, tear in the basil, season with salt and pepper, then
toss with a good glug of olive oil and a good swig of vinegar to balance
the flavours to your taste. You can serve the tomatoes either chunky or
finely chopped, or you can scrunch them between your fingers before
putting them on your basic bruschette – really tasty".